Post by sgeorge1701 on Dec 2, 2005 16:11:04 GMT -5
Here's a primer on solar cells:
www.solarserver.de/wissen/photovoltaik-e.html
The 3rd graphic shows efficiencies (lab vs real world):
Material
Level of efficiency in % Lab
Level of efficiency in % Production
Monocrystalline Silicon
approx. 24
14 to17
Polycrystalline Silicon
approx. 18
13 to15
Amorphous Silicon
approx. 13
5 to7
The table after that shows the efficiencies of different types of materials
Ga-As is 30% efficient Silicon is 20% efficient and they have different band gaps so they can work together to approch 50% (you can do some additive work with different types of materials not always 30+20 = 50 in the real world).
Nano-tubes are cool, but low on the efficiency scale (around 1% right now, BUT you can put them on almost any surface so what you loose in efficiency, you can make up on almost any surface (and they are working on the % and are shooting for 5-10% by 2010.)
Steve
www.solarserver.de/wissen/photovoltaik-e.html
The 3rd graphic shows efficiencies (lab vs real world):
Material
Level of efficiency in % Lab
Level of efficiency in % Production
Monocrystalline Silicon
approx. 24
14 to17
Polycrystalline Silicon
approx. 18
13 to15
Amorphous Silicon
approx. 13
5 to7
The table after that shows the efficiencies of different types of materials
Ga-As is 30% efficient Silicon is 20% efficient and they have different band gaps so they can work together to approch 50% (you can do some additive work with different types of materials not always 30+20 = 50 in the real world).
Nano-tubes are cool, but low on the efficiency scale (around 1% right now, BUT you can put them on almost any surface so what you loose in efficiency, you can make up on almost any surface (and they are working on the % and are shooting for 5-10% by 2010.)
Steve